Chapter 1: Daddy or Oga—Mistake of the Year

Mistaking my boss’s WhatsApp for my papa’s, I dey form baby girl for am every day:

“Daddy~ next time you dey travel for work, abeg carry me join body. 🙏🏾😏”

“Daddy~ your small pikin don broke o.”

Most evenings, after long day for office, I go just dey send all those playful messages, never suspect say na boss dey collect am. I even add sugar for voice note, the way small pikin dey beg for gala for traffic. If to say I know, my eye for sharp well, but who go suspect say two Daddy dey for one WhatsApp?

One evening, as I dey type another sweet message, something just bite me make I check well. I sharply open the chat—see MD face dey shine for DP. My head scatter. I nearly throw phone. All this while, na my boss I dey call Daddy?

Later, when I follow my boss go business trip, two of us come drink scatter. After we jam body for bed, I run comot first thing for morning. My boss just grit teeth, text me: “You cook for me, dey call me Daddy, now you dey follow another man run. Wetin come happen to me? Na true Daddy I be for you now?”

The thing shock me, as if ground go open swallow me. Beat of silence just hold everywhere. I mutter for myself in Pidgin: “Wetin be this? Village people don show face?” My heart start dey race, I just carry phone keep for chest, heartbeat dey do gra-gra, dey reason if na spiritual attack be this.